Y helps Norwich students know how

Forty students are participating in a homework club that’s being run in conjunction with the Ocean Community YMCA of Mystic.

Adam Benson

By Adam Benson

norwichbulletin.com/abenson?(860) 908-7004

If Debryana Williams was asked a year ago to figure out the dimensions of a right scalene triangle as a homework assignment, chances are the 10-year-old would have spent most of the night struggling for the answer.

But on Monday, surrounded by friends in a cheery fifth-grade classroom at Veterans’ Memorial Elementary School, Williams breezed through that problem and several others.

She’s one of 40 students across the school participating in a homework club that’s being run in conjunction with the Ocean Community YMCA of Mystic.

“It helps me improve on my reading and math and it’s good to have a teacher next to you to help,” said Debryana, who knew that in a right scalene triangle no side with the same length as any other side.

City educators launched the program in January on the strength of a $5,000 grant through the Liberty Bank Foundation, and targeted Veterans’ because it’s not included in BRIDGES, the district-run afterschool initiative that focuses on boosting student proficiency on standardized tests.

“But Veterans’ did have a staff that was ready and willing to support after-school tutorial type opportunities for students,” said Ross Anderson, the Norwich district’s director of special initiatives.

Twice a week through May 22, four Veterans’ teachers and Diana Yalen, the YMCA’s School’s Out director, meet from 3:30 to 5 p.m., offering students one-on-one help with homework and tutoring.

Pupils from grades one through five are handpicked by teachers to take part in the club.

Principal Cheryl Vocatura said officials have already seen progress in students who have cycled through the program.

“Every parent wants to support their kids as much as they can, but some work different shifts and just can’t be home with them when school ends. This is not new instruction they’re getting, it’s just going deeper into something they learned during the day,” she said.
Vocatura said officials are waiting to see how students did on standardized exams like the Connecticut Mastery Tests and Development Reading Assessment to evaluate how effective the pilot homework club has been.

“We’re hoping to see some increases when they take their reading assessments,” she said.

Jenatten Charles, 10, said he was grateful for the chance to catch up on his homework in a school setting.

“You get to do fun activities and stuff and you get help on your homework when you need it,” he said.
Jackie Walsh, a fifth-grade teacher who coordinates the club for the school’s oldest students, said she has noticed a difference in their performance since it began.

“One of our biggest goals as a school was to improve fluency and reading, so this provides us time for that,” she said. “And it’s also teaching them responsibility and giving them a comfortable place to ask questions.”

As she thumbed through a dictionary, 10-year-old Alivia Hamilton said taking part in the club has already made her a more-effective student.

“In the beginning, I wasn’t very good at reading but now they’re easier words and I go right through them,” Alivia said.